Meditation: Why and How?
During these unprecedented times many are experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety. And for good reason! Whether you have little ones that you now have to home school, have to work from home for the first time ever, or have lost a job entirely, COVID-19 brings more worries to mind than just our health. So what can we do?
Meditation is one of our most powerful tools that we can use to manage our stress and anxiety throughout quarantine during COVID-19. Not sold on if you want to invest your time in to developing your meditation practice? Here are just some of the many benefits of meditation:
1. Stress reduction
2. Anxiety reduction
3. Enhanced outlook on life
4. Improved self-awareness
5. Lengthened attention span
6. Improved age-related memory loss
7. Improved levels of empathy and compassion
8. Can aid addiction
9. Can aid weight loss
10. Improved sleep
11. Decreased blood pressure
This list encompasses just some of the amazing benefits that we can reap by developing a consistent meditation routine. But a consistent meditation routine can be most successful when it is just that: consistent. Here are 6 tips to help get you started on your meditation journey and to keep you going:
1. Find a comfortable spot to sit or lay comfortably. I often like to meditate before bed because it really helps to relax both my body and mind
2. While it's not necessary, playing music or using an app that does guided meditations are super useful, especially for beginners
3. Set a goal time that you want to meditate for and set the timer. Choose a time that you feel you can achieve. Maybe the first time you sit down to meditate is for 5 minutes, then the next time is 8 minutes, then 10, and so on
4. Even if you have music or a guided meditation playing it is natural for your thoughts to wonder. When this happens I would recommend focusing on your breath - in through the nose and out through the mouth
5. Meditation can be done with the eyes open or closed. I prefer to close my eyes as 85% of our sensory information comes in through the eyes. By closing our eyes it is taking away 85% of the potential distractions that might bring our thoughts away from the practice
6. When the timer is up I like to repeat Kristin McGee's mantra "Everything you could possibly ever want, have, or need is right here inside of you" to close out my practice
Meditation can be extremely difficult if it's not guided. Here are some of my all time favorite meditation apps and products to keep me practicing:
- 7 Minute Mindfulness
- Healing Meditation Sounds
- Insight Timer (app)
Meditation is one of our most powerful tools that we can use to manage our stress and anxiety throughout quarantine during COVID-19. Not sold on if you want to invest your time in to developing your meditation practice? Here are just some of the many benefits of meditation:
1. Stress reduction
2. Anxiety reduction
3. Enhanced outlook on life
4. Improved self-awareness
5. Lengthened attention span
6. Improved age-related memory loss
7. Improved levels of empathy and compassion
8. Can aid addiction
9. Can aid weight loss
10. Improved sleep
11. Decreased blood pressure
This list encompasses just some of the amazing benefits that we can reap by developing a consistent meditation routine. But a consistent meditation routine can be most successful when it is just that: consistent. Here are 6 tips to help get you started on your meditation journey and to keep you going:
1. Find a comfortable spot to sit or lay comfortably. I often like to meditate before bed because it really helps to relax both my body and mind
2. While it's not necessary, playing music or using an app that does guided meditations are super useful, especially for beginners
3. Set a goal time that you want to meditate for and set the timer. Choose a time that you feel you can achieve. Maybe the first time you sit down to meditate is for 5 minutes, then the next time is 8 minutes, then 10, and so on
4. Even if you have music or a guided meditation playing it is natural for your thoughts to wonder. When this happens I would recommend focusing on your breath - in through the nose and out through the mouth
5. Meditation can be done with the eyes open or closed. I prefer to close my eyes as 85% of our sensory information comes in through the eyes. By closing our eyes it is taking away 85% of the potential distractions that might bring our thoughts away from the practice
6. When the timer is up I like to repeat Kristin McGee's mantra "Everything you could possibly ever want, have, or need is right here inside of you" to close out my practice
Meditation can be extremely difficult if it's not guided. Here are some of my all time favorite meditation apps and products to keep me practicing:
- 7 Minute Mindfulness
- Healing Meditation Sounds
- Insight Timer (app)
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